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Member News: Six Marinas Join The Boat Village Collaborative in SE Florida

Collaborative to Promote Online Service Coordination and Simplify Boat
Ownership Continues to Draw New Members

Hobe Sound, Fla.—Jul. 9, 2014—Six major marinas have joined The Boat Village’s collaborative in Southeast Florida to promote online service coordination and simplify boat ownership.

Old Port Cove Marina and North Palm Beach Marina, in North Palm Beach; the Palm Bay Club Marina, in Miami; and three marinas from the Aquamarina portfolio located in Southeast Florida in Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura are the latest to join the growing list of companies that have banded together to promote leading-­‐edge technology that makes managing and maintaining recreational boats far easier.

These companies will offer The Boat Village, the marine industry’s leading online service coordination tool, to slip holders, providing them with the very latest technology for boat management and online service coordination. My-­‐Villages, which created The Boat Village and owns the popular DockMaster marine management software, also offers these companies major marketing and outreach services to spread the word. The result is a regional collaborative: a group of businesses working together to engage online and add value to customers and increase customer loyalty in their communities.

“We are a forward-­‐thinking and technology-­‐friendly company. We are always looking for ways to enhance boaters’ experiences and provide value to slip holders,” said Steven Kinderman, COO at Aqua Marine Partners. “The Boat Village Premium service provides tools that help boating customers connect with service technicians and other marine professionals in a simple and efficient way. By offering The Boat Village, we are seeking to improve maintenance and keep boaters boating, which is good for everyone—especially the
boater. Additionally, the marketing support that comes with the strategic alliance is quite valuable.”

The Florida collaborative, launched earlier this spring, has already attracted substantial companies like Hinckley Yacht Services and Whiticar Boat Works of Stuart; Boat Yard Services in West Palm Beach; Bradford Marine and Marine Professionals Incorporated (MPI) of Fort Lauderdale; and Galati Yacht Sales. Large boat manufacturers like Ferretti, The Hinckley Co. and Regal are also onboard. And, The Boat Village has already launched its second regional collaborative in New England.

“Customers transact online with banks, pharmacies and retail stores—it’s routine,” said Kevin Hutchinson, founder and CEO of My-Villages. “Our mission is to move the marine industry in that direction, too. Transacting business with customers online is the norm these days, and it is great to see so many innovative marine industry companies move forward to do business with customers online.”

The Boat Village is an online service coordination and boat management tool that gives marinas, service yards, dealers and brokerages the ability to track each customer’s vessel, receive automatic reminders when service is due and notify customers—all in the same application. The result is improved customer engagement and increased business.

Service professionals can create a boat profile for each customer, giving them instant access to relevant information about onboard equipment and supplying automatic reminders when service is due. The Boat Village also appends equipment manuals and creates a custom maintenance plan, based on manufacturer recommendations.

“The Boat Village is a great tool on its own,” said Sue Morgan, marketing director at Old Port Cove, which has used DockMaster for years. “We are really eager to see what it can do when it is integrated into DockMaster. The two tools combined will be a powerful way to increase efficiency and expand customer engagement.”

Later this year, The Boat Village will be integrated into the DockMaster suite of marine business software, greatly enhancing the utility for DockMaster users and giving marinas even more tools to care for slip holders.

About My-­Villages
My-­Villages is a technology company dedicated to helping people better maintain and operate the things they own. The company improves communication and coordination between product owners, manufacturers and industry service professionals, using mobile technology to simplify life for consumers and help businesses engage customers more effectively. Learn more at www.my-villages.com.